Natural Resources Management Field of Study List of … Outlines-2009Nov.pdf · This course will introduce students to the essential concepts of ecology and ... R.E. Ricklefs: The

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Natural Resources Management Field of Study

List of Courses

ED76.01 Ecological Principles for Natural Resources Management 3(3-0) ................................... 2

ED76.02 Natural Resources Management Issues in Asia 1(1-0) ................................................... 4

ED76.03 Forestry 3(3-0) ................................................................................................................. 6

ED76.04 Biodiversity and Conservation 3(3-0) ............................................................................... 8

ED76.05 Integrated Land Use Management Systems 3(3-0) ......................................................... 10

ED76.09 Integrated Natural Resources Planning and Policy 3(3-0) .............................................. 12

ED 76.11 Natural Resource Economics 3(3-0) .............................................................................. 14

ED76.13 Natural Resources Degradation and Conservation 3(3-0) .............................................. 17

ED76.14 Society and Natural Resource Management 3(3-0) ........................................................ 19

ED76.15 Research Design for Natural Resources Management 3(3-0) Semester: January ...... 22

ED76.16 Land Resources Management 3(3-0) .............................................................................. 24

ED76.17 Geospatial techniques in Natural Resources Management 3(2-3) .................................. 26

ED76.9002 International Forestry Resources and Institutions 3(3-0) .......................................... 29

ED76.9003 Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems, 2 (1-3) ............................................. 29

ED76.9004 Soil and Water Conservation for Agro-environmental Management 1(1-0) .............. 31

ED76.9005 Land use and climate change 2(2-0) ........................................................................... 33

IN00.9015 Climate, Energy and Food Security in the Asia Pacific 2(2-0) .................................... 35

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ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT, RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

ED76.01 Ecological Principles for Natural Resources Management 3(3-0)

Semester: August

Rationale: Managing and conserving natural resources requires a fundamental understanding of

natural dynamics. This course will introduce students to the essential concepts of ecology and

familiarise them with ecosystem patterns and processes at various spatial and temporal scales. A

special focus lies on tropical and subtropical ecosystems of Asia, in particular forests and

woodlands. The importance of ecology for sustainable natural resource management will be

illustrated using selected case studies.

Catalog Description: This course will provide an overview of the natural patterns and processes

that are inherent of terrestrial tropical and subtropical ecosystems of Asia. Throughout the course,

examples will illustrate applications of ecology in natural resource management contexts.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Foundations of Ecosystem Development in Asia

1. The Linkage between Ecology and Natural Resources Management

2. Climatological, Geological and Other Determinants of terrestrial ecosystems

3. Biogeography and Palaeogeography in the Tropical Regions

4. Overview of Terrestrial Ecosystems and Forest Types of Tropical Asia

5. The Eco-region Classification System

II. Vegetation Patterns and Biodiversity

1. Vegetation Structure and Function

2. Vegetation Diversity and Floristics

3. Mechanisms Promoting Ecosystem Diversity

III. Ecological Processes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

1. Nutrient Cycling

2. Carbon Cycling

3. Energy Flow Through Ecosystems

4. Reproductive Biology of Plants

5. Growth Physiology and Ecological Guilds

6. Animal-Plant Interactions

7. Community Ecology and Population Dynamics

8. Disturbance Ecology I: Large Scale Disturbances and Succession

9. Disturbance Ecology II: Small-Scale Disturbance and Regeneration

IV. Impacts of Management on the Ecology of Asian Ecosystems: Case Studies

1. Industrial Forestry

2. Swidden Agriculture

3. Community Forestry

4. Plant Invasion Ecology

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5. Rangeland Ecology

6. Restoration of Mangroves and Swamp Forests

Laboratory Session: None

Textbooks:

1. P. W. Richards: The Tropical Rain Forest, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, 1996.

2. T. C. Whitmore: An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests. Oxford University Press, New

York, 1998.

3. R.E. Ricklefs: The Economy of Nature, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 2008.

Reference Books:

1. R. E. Ricklefs, G. L Miller: Ecology, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 2000.

2. A. E. Magurran: Measuring Biological Diversity, Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

3. T.C. Whitmore: Tropical Rain Forests of the Far East. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984.

4. E. Wickramanayake et al.: Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific, Island Press, Washington

D.C., 2002.

5. M. Allaby: Oxford Dictionary of Ecology. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Journals and Magazines:

1. Biotropica

2. Conservation Biology

3. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology

4. Journal of Tropical Ecology

5. Mountain Research and Development

6. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society

Grading System:

The final grade will be computed from the following constituent parts: midsem (30%), final exam

(45 %), and assignment (25%). All examinations are closed book.

Instructor:

Dr. Roland Cochard

School Recommendation: 12 March 2009 ADRC Endorsement: 13 May 2009

Academic Senate Approval: AS 09.65; 26 August 2009

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ED76.02 Natural Resources Management Issues in Asia 1(1-0) Semester: August

Rationale: As an international institute, AIT receives students from many countries, each of

which has its own natural resources management issues. It is very important for future natural

resource managers to be exposed to the NRM-related issues across Asia, so that they can put their

own country‟s issues in a regional perspective. This course has been designed to promote a

regional awareness of NRM related issues for incoming students through lecture and one field

trip in Thailand. By the end of the course, it is expected that the students will be able to discuss

the broad issues of NRM at the regional level.

Catalog Description: This course will introduce students from various countries to the general

natural resources management issues throughout the Asian region, with a focus on Thailand.

Lectures will provide a regional perspective of contemporary natural resource management

issues, and will be supplemented with one field trip in Thailand to view these issues first hand.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Introduction to Natural Resources and Its Management

II. Regional overview of environmental and natural resources issues

1. Natural resources base

2. Land use change

III. Key Issues in Natural Resources Management of Asia

1. Land Degradation and conservation

2. Climate change and natural resources in Asia

3. Biodiversity and climate change in Asia

4. Coastal zone management and conservation

IV. Natural Resource Management Policies: case example of decentralization and policy

outcomes of Asian forest governance and management

Field trip:

1. After the completion of lectures, a field trip (3 days long) will be conducted in Thailand to

examine the various key issues discussed in the lectures. The trip will also expose the

students to match the classroom learning with real world situation.

Textbook: Collection of contemporary journal articles

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Reference Books:

1. Bridges, E.M., I.D. Hannam, L.R. Oldeman, F.W.T.P. de Vries, S. J. Scherr, and S.

Sombatpanit, 2001 (editors). Response to Land Degradation. Oxford & Publishing Co. Pvt.

Ltd., New Delhi.

2. State of Environment Reports (Subregional, e.g South Asia, Mekong Region and National,

e.g. Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, India).

3. P. Shengji: Banking on Biodiversity, Report on the Regional Consultation on Biodiversity

Assessment in the Hindukush-Himalayas, ICIMOD, Kathmandu, 1996.

4. Contreras-Hermosilla, Arnoldo: The Underlying Causes of Forest Decline, CIFOR

Occasional Paper No. 30. Bogo, 2000.

5. N. S. Jodha: The Nepal Middle Mountains, in: Kasperson, J. X. et al. (eds.): Regions at

Risk: Comparisons of Threatened Environments, United Nations University, Tokyo 1995.




3. Land Degradation and Development

4. Natural Resources Forum

5. World Development

Grading System: The final grade will be computed from the final assignment/trip report which

should demonstrate the link between one or more thematic topic discussed in the class room and

the field knowledge.

Instructors: Dr. Rajendra P Shrestha and NRM Faculty



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ED76.03 Forestry 3(3-0) Semester: January

Rationale: Asia has a long history of both traditional and industrial forestry. The forestry sector is

an important backbone of several economies, and it contributes to the livelihoods of millions of

rural inhabitants. Forests represent not only a source of wood for building materials and biofuels,

they are also important for biodiversity conservation, watershed protection and climate

regulation. In this course forest related students of NRM are exposed to the principles of forestry

in the context of Asia, and get in-depth experience with the tools and theory of the evolving field.

Catalog Description: Set within the context of Asia, this course will discuss the techniques to

evaluate, monitor and analyze forests and forest management practices. A special focus will be

on externalized forest values to increase the sustainability of forestry and improve biodiversity

conservation. Hands-on experience in forest assessments will be gained through one weekend-

long field trip to a forest monitoring project.

Pre-requisite: None, but the course ED76.01 (August Semester) is recommended as basis

Course Outline:

I. Background and introduction

1. Forestry: Definitions

2. Valuation I: Timber products and economy

3. Valuation II: Non-timber products and economy

4. Valuation III: Environmental services of forests

5. Status of Forests in Asia

6. The History of Forest Management in Thailand

7. Ecologically „sustainable‟ Forestry

II. Forest Assessment

1. Land Evaluation for Forestry

2. Forest Survey and Inventory Methodologies

3. Growth and Harvest Modeling

4. Geographic information Systems and Forestry

5. Sustainability and Impact Assessment of Extraction Methods

III. Plantation Forestry and Silviculture

1. Ecological Comparisons between Plantation Management and Silviculture in Asia

2. Nursery and Seed Collection Techniques

3. Industrial and Selective Harvesting Techniques

4. Case Studies

IV. Community-Based Forestry

1. Indigenous Forest Management Strategies in Asia

2. Community Forestry

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3. Agroforestry and Home Garden Forestry


Textbooks:

1. L. Pancel (ed.): Tropical Forestry Handbook, Springer-Verlag, 1993.

2. Montagnini, F. and Jordan, C.F.: Tropical Forest Ecology. The Basis for Conservation and

Management, Springer-Verlag, 2005.

Reference Books:

1. J. M. Blockhus et al.: Conserving Biological Diversity in Managed Tropical Forests IUCN,

Gland, Switzerland, 1992.

2. C. C. Gibson et al.: People and Forests, MIT Press, Cambridge, 2000.

3. E. Ostrom et al.: Rules, Games, and Common-Pool Resources, University of Michigan,

Ann Arbor, 2002.

4. M. Poffenberger (ed.): Communities and Forest Management in South Asia, IUCN, Gland,

Switzerland, 2000.

5. B. D. Shiver, B. E. Borders: Sampling Techniques for Forest Resource Inventory, John

Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996.

6. Hyde, W.F. and Amacher, G.S. (ed.): Economics of Forestry for Rural Development. An

Empirical Introduction from Asia. University of Michigan Press, 2001.


1. Environmental Conservation

2. Environmental Management

3. Forest Ecology and Management


5. Mountain Research and Development

Grading System: The final grade will be computed according to the following weight

distribution: midsem exam (30%); final exam (40%); assignments (30%). Closed book

examinations are given both in the midsem and final exams.

Instructor: Dr. Roland Cochard



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ED76.04 Biodiversity and Conservation 3(3-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Biodiversity conservation in the Asia/Pacific Region involves dealing with diverse

biophysical, socioeconomic, cultural, political and legal issues to resolve conservation problems

and natural resource use conflicts. The objective of the course is to provide participants with a

sound knowledge of conservation biology, an overview of current approaches to biodiversity

conservation, e.g. ecoregional or community-based approaches, and with a solid introduction to

planning and management strategies for biodiversity conservation inside and outside of protected

areas .

Catalog Description: Biodiversity and its assessment; approaches to biodiversity conservation;

planning and management of protected areas; biodiversity conservation outside protected areas.

Prerequisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Introduction to Biodiversity

1. Terms and Definitions

2. Methods of Biodiversity Assessment

3. Biodiversity and Space

4. Distribution of Biodiversity

5. Threats to Biodiversity

6. Values of Biodiversity

II. Approaches to Conservation and Biodiversity Protection

1. History of Nature Conservation

2. Approaches in Modern Biodiversity Conservation

3. International organizations and agreements

III. Biodiversity Conservation inside Protected Areas

1. Protected Area Categories

2. Protected Area Design

3. Management of Natural Resources in Protected Areas

4. Management of People-Protected Area Relations

IV. Biodiversity Conservation Outside Protected Areas

1. Ex-Situ Conservation Strategies

2. Restoration Ecology

3. Agrobiodiversity

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4. Natural Resource Management for Biodiversity Conservation


Textbook:

1. M. Jeffries: Biodiversity and Conservation, Routledge, 2006.

Reference Books:

1. B. Groombridge, M. D. Jenkins: World Atlas of Biodiversity: Earth‟s Living Resources in the

21 Century, University of California Press, 2002.

2. L. Buck: Biological Diversity: Balancing Interests Through Adaptive Collaborative

Management, CRC Press, 2001

3. J. Terborgh et al. (eds.): Making parks work: strategies for preserving tropical nature. Island

Press, 2002.



2. Conservation and Society

3. Tropical Ecology


distribution: midsem exam (30%); final exam (30%); assignments (40%). Closed book


Instructor: Dr R Cochard



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ED76.05 Integrated Land Use Management Systems 3(3-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Integrated land use systems, which combine elements of farming, forestry, pastoralism and

aquaculture are an important component of land use in tropical and subtropical Asia. There are

traditional as well as well as modern types of integrated land use. The focus of the course will be on

agroforestry systems (swidden cultivation, forest gardens, taungya) and on integrated agriculture-

aquaculture systems. Integrated land use systems are capable of contributing significantly to

sustainable land use, economic diversification, watershed protection and biodiversity conservation.

The course will provide students with a knowledge of the various types of integrated land use

systems, as well as with an understanding of their ecology and economics. The aim of the course is to

enable students to assess and enhance the sustainability of integrated land use systems.

Catalog Description: Ecological and economic principles of integrated land use systems; overview of

integrated land use systems in various countries of Asia; assessment of their performance and

potential with respect to environmental, economic and sociocultural considerations; contribution of

integrated land use systems to watershed protection and biodiversity conservation; exploration of

ways to promote, improve or conserve integrated land use systems.

Prerequisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Introduction

1. Concept

2. Context

II. Ecological and Economic Considerations

1. Basic Terms and Principles of Ecology and Agroecology

2. Basic Terms and Principles of Economic Analysis

III. Agroforestry Systems

1. Definition and Concepts

2. Classification

3. Agroforestry System Types

4. Environmental Aspects

5. Economic Aspects

6. Sociocultural Aspects

IV. Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems

1. Definition and Concepts

2. Classification

3. IAA System Types

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4. Environmental Aspects

5. Economic Aspects

6. Sociocultural Aspects

V. Conclusion: The Potential of ILUS for Sustainable Development


Textbook:

1. P. K. R Nair: An Introduction to Agroforestry, ICRAF/Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.

Reference Books:

1. L. E. Buck et al.: Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Lewis Publishers, 1998.

2. G. Schroth et al.(eds.): Agroforestry and Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Landscapes. Island

Press, 2004

3. M. Cairns (ed.): Voices from the Forest: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Sustainable

Upland Farming. RFF Press, 2007


1. Agroforestry Systems

2. Agroforestry today

3. Agricultural Systems

4. Aquaculture

Grading System: The final grade will be computed according to the following weight distribution:

midsem exam (30%); final exam (30%); assignments (40%). Closed book examinations are given in

the both midsem and final exams.

Instructor: TBA



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ED76.09 Integrated Natural Resources Planning and Policy 3(3-0)

Semester: January Rationale: Planning for natural resources management is mainly concerned with reconciling use of

natural resources with conservation of natural resources and of the environment as a whole. The aim

of the course is to provide master‟s level students with an understanding of environmental,

socioeconomic and policy perspectives on resource relationships, with an insight into the paradigms

of conservation and sustainable development, and with a policy background to an understanding of

resource use and planning issues. Another important aim is to familiarize students with modern

planning tools for natural resources management and conservation, such as strategies for sustainable

development & environmental impact studies.

Catalog Description: The theory and practice of planning as applied to the use and conservation of

natural resources and the environment; environmental and social science perspective on natural and

environmental resource use; policy background to an understanding of resource use and planning

issues; development and conservation as planning paradigms; sustainability; planning and

implementation strategies.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Introduction

1. Key terms and definitions

2. Historical perspective on INRM

3. Conditions for INRM: change, complexity, uncertainty and conflict

4. Context for INRM: Global Environmental Change

II. Background: Perspectives, Concepts and Approaches

1. Natural science-based concepts and perspectives

2. Socioeconomic and political science-based concepts and perspectives

III. Planning Paradigms and Objectives

1. Development

2. Conservation

3. Sustainability

IV. NRM Approaches

1. The ecosystem approach

2. Adaptive management

3. Collaborative Management

V. NRM Policies

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1. Regulatory policies

2. Incentive policies

VI. NRM Planning

1. Sustainable development strategies

2. Planning processes and cycles

VII. Participatory and Local Knowledge-based NRM

1. Participation

2. Indigenous knowledge

3. Conflict resolution


Textbook:

1. B. Mitchell: Resource and Environmental Management, Prentice Hall, 2002.

Reference Books:

1. J. Carew-Reid et al: Strategies for National Sustainable Development: a Handbook for their

Planning and Implementation, Earthscan Publications, 1994.

2. B.M. Campbell, J.A. Sayer: Integrated Natural Resource Management, CABI Publishing, 2003

3. J.A. Sayer, B.M. Campbell: The science of sustainable development, Cambridge University Press,

2004


1. Asian Journal of Environmental Management

2. Journal of Environmental Management


Grading System: The final grade will be computed according to the following weight distribution:

midsem exam (30%); final exam (30%); assignments (40%). Closed book examinations are given

both in the midsem and final exams.

Instructor: TBA



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School of Environment, Resources and Development


ED 76.11 Natural Resource Economics 3(3-0) Semester: January

Rationale:

(1) To understand the relationship between natural resources and economics, well as the role

and importance of environmental issues in economic development.

(2) To use and critically assess methods applicable for the measurement of environmental

problems, cost benefit analysis, cost effectiveness analysis.

Catalog Description: Review of resource economic theories and concepts and apply them with

the natural resource issues. The course aims to provide understanding about economic rationale

behind the natural resource and environmental management. Emphasis of the course will be on

introduction of social and private considerations in resource use, resource scarcity, resource

management, and resource policy. Analysis will be especially on the bio-economic equilibrium

and sustainability of renewable resources. Non-market valuation of externalities from resource

use as well as resource development The aim of the course is to serve the students from different

academic disciplines and with limited background in economic theory.

Pre-requisite(s): None

Course Outline:

1. Basic Concepts of Resource Economics

(a) economics and natural resources

(b) definition and types of resources

(c) natural resources and environment

(d) current resource issues

2. Economic Equilibrium

(a) market equilibrium and pricing system

(b) production and consumption equilibrium

(c) distribution and efficiency

(d) time value of money

(e) market failure and externality

3. Resource Management

(a) demand side management

(b) supply side management

(c) fiscal and public policy of natural resources management

(d) institutional management

4. Resource Scarcity

(a) evidence on resource scarcity

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(b) factors mitigating scarcity

(c) optimal use of resource

5. Management of Renewable Resources

(a) biological equilibrium

(b) bioeconomic equilibrium

(c) sustainable resource use

(d) resource management policy

6. Economics of the Externality

(a) pollution control model

(b) optimal level of pollution

(c) Motivating Regulatory compliance: monitoring, enforcement and sanctions

7. Non-market Valuation of the Environment

(a) benefit side analysis

(b) cost side analysis

(c) empirical study

8. Project Management in Resource Development

(a) social and private consideration

(b) cost and benefit analysis

(c) financial, economic and social analysis

(d) case study

9. Population Change and Management of Common Pool Resources

(a) population change, resources and the environment

(b) common pool resources

(c) Institutions managing common pool resources

10. Global warming: Uncertainty, Irreversibility and Long Term Policy Making

Textbooks:

1. Hackett, Steven C. (2006): Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: Theory, Policy,

and the Sustainable Society. (Third Edition) M.E. Sharpe, New York:Armonk

2. Field, Barry C. (2001). Natural Resource Economics: An Introduction. McGraw Hill

Companies, Inc. New York.

3. Sterner, Thomas. (2003). Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource

Management. Washington, DC: Resource for the Future, The World Bank and

Stockholm:SIDA.

References:

1. T. Tietenberg (2000): Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Wesley Longman,

New York. Addison

2. J.A. Dixon et al (1988): Economic Analysis of the Environmental Impacts of Development

Projects, Earthscan.

3. J.A. Dixon and P.B. Sherman (1990): Economic of Protected Areas, East-West Center,

Hawaii.

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4. Dixon, John A. and M.M. Hufschmidt (ed.) (1996). Economic Valuation Techniques for the

Environment: A Case Study Work Book, The John Hopkins University Press.

5. Freeman III, A.M. (1993). The Measurement of Environmental and Resource Values:

Theory & Methods, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.

6. Dixon, John A and M.M. Hufschmidt (ed) (1994). Economic Valuation Techniques for

Environment, ADB, Manila.

Journals:

1. Environmental Economics & Management


3. Society & National Resources

4. Environment & Development Economics

5. Population and Environment

Course Requirement:

1 Maintain two Reading Response Journals 10% .

2. Mid-semester examination (Closed book) 20%

3. Semester Project paper 20%

4. Group work and class presentation on valuation technique mini-research 5%

5. Final examination (closed book) 45%

Instructor: Dr Ganesh P. Shivakoti.



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ED76.13 Natural Resources Degradation and Conservation 3(3-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Degradation of natural resources has undermined the supporting capacity of the

ecosystem. This has direct link with the current issues of food security, poverty alleviation and

environmental conservation including the global environmental processes, e.g. climate change.

Hence, understanding of the natural resources degradation is vital for formulating integrative and

suitable conservation strategies to respond to the challenges of sustainable food production and

reversing environmental problem. This course provides students with the concept, types, causes

and impacts of various types of natural resources degradation. Students will learn about the tools,

methodologies and indicators to assess and monitor degradation extent and severity and also

basic concept of good practices for conserving the important natural resources.

Catalogue Description: Basic concepts of hazard, risk, vulnerability and degradation; Types of

degradation, their causes and impacts; Tools, models and methodologies, for natural resources

degradation assessment and monitoring; Conservation concepts and measures; Reconciling

degradation and natural resources management issues.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Concepts

a. Hazard

b. Risk

c. Vulnerability

d. Degradation

II. Natural Resources degradation (types, causes and impacts)

a. Vegetation degradation (Land cover/use change, biological degradation)

b. Land (physical, chemical and biological degradation covering the aspects of erosion,

soil structure breakdown, salinity, nutrient depletion)

c. Water (drought, water logging, salinity, water pollution)

d. Soils and climate change

III. Tools for natural resource degradation assessment and monitoring

a. GIS

b. Remote sensing

c. Global Positioning system

IV. Models and methodologies

a. Available models for different levels/scales

b. Data requirements and appropriateness of the models

c. Methodologies and indicators

V. Conservation concepts and measures

a. Watershed management concept

b. Land use planning concept

c. Soil and water conservation measures

VI. Reconciling degradation and sustainability issues of natural resources management

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a. Socio-economic components

b. Agro-ecological components

c. Other enabling environment

Textbook: None

References:

1. Agassi, M. (Ed.). 1996. Soil Erosion, Conservation and Rehabilitation, Marcel, Dekker,

Inc., New York.

2. Bridges, E.M., I.D. Hannam, L.R. Oldeman, F.W.T.P. de Vries, S. J. Scherr, and S.

Sombatpanit, 2001 (editors). Response to Land Degradation. Oxford & Publishing Co. Pvt.

Ltd., New Delhi.

3. FAO, 1996. Land Husbandry: Components and Strategy, FAO Soils Bulletin # 70, FAO,

Rome.

4. Goudie, A. 2001. The Human Impact on the Natural Environment:. The MIT Press,

Cambridge.

5. Randolph, J. 2004. Environmental land use planning and management. Island Press,

Washington.

6. Stocking, M.A. and N. Murnaghan, 2001. Handbook for the Field Assessment of Land

Degradation. Earthscan Publications Ltd., London.

Journals/ Magazines:


2. Land Degradation and Development

3. International Journal of Remote Sensing

4. Ecological economics

5. Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment


distribution: Midsem exam (40%); final exam (40%); assignment/term paper (20%). Closed book

examinations are given both in the Midsem and final exams.

Instructor: Dr. Rajendra P Shrestha

School Recommendation: 6 February 2007 ADRC Endorsement: 14 February 2007

Academic Senate Approval: 14 March 2007

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SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT, RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT Field of study: Natural Resource Management

ED76.14 Society and Natural Resource Management 3(3-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Natural resource managers are faced with a wide range of issues and responsibilities

they must effectively address. Most of such issues have a social component. It is therefore

important for the natural resource planners and managers to have an understanding of social

dimensions of the complex natural resource issues so that they can take consideration of these

factors in planning and implementation of projects related to natural resources management.

Catalog Description: This course explores the relationship between society and natural resources.

Emphasis is on social and institutional dimensions of common pool natural resources

management. Some of the specific topics to be covered include contribution of sociology to the

study of natural resources, changing paradigms and theories, political economy of natural

resources management, collective action and the commons, community-based resource

management, co-management, property rights and institutions governing the use and maintenance

of the resource. This will be a reading and writing intensive course.

Course Outline

I. Introduction

Introduction to social, economic, and ecological dimensions of natural resources management

Current trends and issues in natural resources management

Contribution of natural resource and environmental sociology to the study of natural resources

Political economy and political ecology of natural resources

Property right regimes related to natural resources

II. Paradigms and Theoretical Approaches to the Management of Common Pool Natural Resources

Early formal analysis of the Commons by Resource Economists

“The Tragedy of the Commons” model

The logic of collective action and self-governance

An institutional approach to the study of common pool natural resources

Social constructivism

III. Issues Related to Use of Natural Resources

Population pressure and resource condition

Dependence, scarcity, and resource condition

Value, attitudes, and cultural perspectives and their effects on natural resources

Conflicts and controversies

Equity issues in natural resource management

IV. Natural Resource Management Approaches

Stakeholders in natural resource management

Community based management

Co-management

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V. Sustainability of Natural Resource Management

Criteria and indicators of sustainability

Recognizing interdependencies

Concepts of polycentric governance and legal pluralism

Prerequisites: None

Course Requirements

Class participation and discussion: Students are required to complete the assigned readings before

class and be prepared for discussion in the class.

Group project: Students will be divided into small groups. Each group will select a current natural

resource related issue and prepare a report (around 15 pages) including overview of the issue,

description of the project objectives, and details on the substance of the project. Each group will

submit an outline of the paper before the mid-semester exam. Short presentations will be given by

each group prior to the report due date, so that feedback can be incorporated into the final report.

Assignment: Each group will be assigned at least one published material on controversial issue

related to management of natural resources for thorough reading and presentation in the class. The

group will identify and analyze the issue and present solutions. The rest of the class is encouraged to

ask questions, debate and discuss as necessary. The instructor may facilitate the discussion.

Mid-semester examination: Close book.

Final examination: Close book.

Grading system

Class participation: 10%

Mid-semester exam: 25%

Assignment: 10%

Project work: 35%

Final exam: 20%

Resources

There is no prescribed text for the course. The following books, journals and websites will be useful for

particular topics. Specific reading guides will be issued week by week.

Books

1. Shivakoti, Ganesh, Douglas Vermillion, Wai Fung Lam, Elinor Ostrom, Ujjwal Pradhan and

Robert Yoder (ed). 2005. Asian Irrigation in Transition: Responding to Challenges. New Delhi:Sage.

2. E. Webb and G. Shivakoti (ed.). 2008. Decentralization, Forests and Rural Communities:Policy outcomes

in South and Southeast Asia. New Delhi:Sage.

3. Bromley, Daniel 1992. Making the Commons Work: Theory, Practice, and Policy. San Francisco: ICS

Press.

4. Hirsch, P., and Warren, C., 1998. The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia: Resources and

Resistance. London: Routledge.

21

5. Gibson, C. C., Margaret A. McKean, and Elinor Ostrom (eds.). 2000. People and Forests: Communities,

Institutions, and Governance. The MIT Press.

6. Ostrom, E., 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action.

Cambridge University Press.

7. Ostrom, E., Thomas Dietz, Nives Dolšak, Paul C. Stern, Susan Stonich, and Elke U. Weber (eds.). 2002.

The Drama of the Commons. Wasington, D. C: National Academic Press.

8. Ascher, W., 1995. Communities and Sustainable Forestry in Developing Countries. San Francisco,

California: Institute for Contemporary Studies.

9. Berkes, F. (ed.) 1989. Common Property Resources: Ecology and Community-Based Sustainable

Development. London: Belhaven Press.

10. Mitchell, Bruce (2002). Resource and Environmental Management (second edition). Prentice Hall (an

imprint of Pearson Education Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore).

11. Ritchie et al. (2000). Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability in Community Managed Forest Landscapes.

Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia.

Journals 1. Society and Natural Resources


3. Journal of Political Ecology

4. Unasylva

5. Ambio


7. Environmental Conservation

Useful Websites

International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP)

http://www.indiana.edu/~iascp/

World Resources Institute

http://earthtrends.wri.org/

WWF Living Planet Report 2000

http://www.panda.org/livingplanet/lpr00/

World Bank and the Environment

http://www.worldbank.org/environment/

World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)

http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/

Instructor: Dr Ganesh P. Shivakoti



http://www.indiana.edu/~iascp/

http://earthtrends.wri.org/

22



ED76.15 Research Design for Natural Resources Management 3(3-0) Semester: January

Rationale: Students in Natural Resources Management will be undertaking field research in order

to complete their M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees. As such, an understanding of how to design and

execute a research plan and present research findings based on scientific analysis is of utmost

importance. This course will fill the need by providing lectures and hands-on experience in

research formulation that parallels students crafting of their own research questions for the

research proposal and employing appropriate statistical techniques during data analysis.

Catalog Description: Formulating a Research Question: Logical thinking and research design;

Preparation for Research; Research Design; Research Practicalities and Discussion; Statistical

Techniques; Non-Parametric Statistics; Multivariate Statistics; Spatial Statistics.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Formulating a Research Question: Logical thinking and research design

1. The Process of Observation

2. Formulating Initial Questions

3. Reviewing the Literature

4. Generating a Hypothesis

5. Falsification and Statistics

II. Preparation for Research

1. Developing an Appropriate Research Plan

2. Coordination Schema and Questionnaire

3. Reasoning in Research

III. Research Design

1. Matching Data Collection with the Question

2. Survey Techniques

3. 18 Points Leading to a Good Research Design

IV. Practicalities and Discussion

1. Time Management

2. Collecting, Organization and Describing Data

3. Data Accuracy

4. Ethics and Data Collection

V. Data analysis: I. Statistical techniques

1. Introduction to data analysis and data entry

2. Student‟s T-test; Analysis of variance; Correlation; Regression analysis

3. Non-parametric statistics (Chi-square test; Wilcoxcon; Kruskal-Wallis)

23

4. Multivariate statistics (Principal component analysis, Cluster analysis, Discriminate

analysis, Canonical correlation analysis)

VI. Data analysis: II. Spatial statistics

1. Spatial distribution

2. Point pattern

3. Line and network

4. Area pattern


Textbooks:

1. P. Feinsinger: Designing Field Studies for Biodiversity Conservation, Island Press,

Washington, 2001.

2. E. D. Ford: Scientific Method for Ecological Research, Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge, 2000.

Reference Books:

1. Shiver, B.D., and B. E. Borders: Sampling Techniques for Forest Resource Inventory, John

Wiley & Sons, New York, 1996.

2. Sutherland, W.J. (ed.): Ecological Census Techniques; a Handbook, Cambridge University

Press, Cambridge, 1996.

3. McGarigal, K, S. Cushman, and S. Stafford. 2000. Multivariate Statistics for Wildlife and

Ecology Research, Springer-Verlag Inc, New York

4. O‟Sullivan, D. and D. Unwin.2003.Geographic Information Analysis, John Wiley an Sons,

Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

5. Lind, D.A., Marchal, W.G., and Wathne, S.A. 2004. Statistical techniques in Business and

economics, 12th

edition, McGraw Hill, Irwin, Boston.

Journals and Magazines: None


distribution: midsem (project) (40%); final presentation (20%); assignments (40%). No written

exams will be required.

Instructor(s): Dr R Cochard and Dr Rajendra P Shrestha



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Kevin%20McGarigal

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Sam%20Cushman

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Susan%20Stafford

24



Field of Study: Natural Resources Management

ED76.16 Land Resources Management 3(3-0) Semester: January

Rationale: Addressing food security has remained a challenging issue. Ever increasing food

demand, persisting land degradation problem and increasing competition for land for other

purposes than food production has compounded to the complexity of the issue. Besides, there is

increasing concern over the important role of land use with the other important global change

issues, like climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. Hence, it is important to

understand the critical yet complex roles of land for managing land resources judiciously, which

requires a holistic and integrated approach. The course will provide the students with the concept

and issues of these interrelated links, techniques, and tools for conducting systematic land

evaluation to help make appropriate decisions related to sustainable land management. The

students will also learn about the emerging concept of sustainable land management, barriers and

the enabling environment needed to mainstream sustainable land management.

Catalog Description: Concerns, issues and types; land resources and soil surveys; land use/cover

change; methodology of land evaluation; tools for land evaluation; sustainable land management,

Strategic options

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Concern, Issues and Types

1. Concern for Land

2. Land Resources issues

3. Land Resources [Climate, Geology, Relief, Soil, Water]

II. Land Resource and Soil Surveys

1. Landscape Approach, Land Resource Inventories

2. Ecological and Agro-ecological Surveys, Terrain analysis and cadastral surveys

3. Soil surveys

III. Land Use/Cover Change (LUCC)

1. State

2. Causes

3. Impacts

IV. Methodology of Land Evaluation

1. FAO Framework of land evaluation [Specific Purpose Land Evaluation; Principles

and Procedures]

2. Other Land Evaluation Methodologies [Land Capability Classification; Fertility

Capability Classification; Productivity indices; Potential ratings; Land Evaluation and

Site Assessment; Agro-Ecological Zoning; Land evaluation and Farming Systems

Analysis; Framework for Evaluation of Sustainable Land Management]

3. Land use planning [Principles, Process and Methods]

V. Tools for Land Evaluation

1. Environmental Impact Assessments [EIA Role; Process]

25

2. Participatory planning [Need for and perceptions; Participation in policy making]

3. Land Resources Indicators

4. Modeling of Land Resources [Types; Approaches]

VI. Sustainable Land Management (SLM)

1. SLM Concept and progress

2. Sustainable land use and food security

3. SLM and climate change

4. Barriers to SLM

VII. SLM: Strategic options

1. Land tenure

2. Land administration

3. Scoioeconomic

4. Policy mechanism

Textbook: Lecture handouts and notes will be provided.

Reference Books:

1. D. A. Davidson: The Evaluation of Land Resources, Longman Publication Group, 2nd

Edition, 1992.

2. FAO: Guidelines for Land-Use Planning, FAO, Rome, 1993.

3. FAO: Land Evaluation: towards a revised framework, Land and Water Discussion Paper 6.

FAO, Rome, 2007.

4. A. Young: Land Resources: Now and for the Future, Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge, 1998.

5. IBRD/WB: Sustainable Land Management: Challenges, Opportunities and Trade-offs, The

World Bank, Washington, DC, 2006.


1. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

2. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation


4. Soil Use and Management

5. Geoderma

6. Journal of Land Use Science


distribution: midsem exam (30%); final exam (40%); and assignments (30%). Closed book





26



ED76.17 Geospatial techniques in Natural Resources Management 3(2-3) Semester: August

Rationale: Natural resources monitoring, planning and management requires location specific geographic

data. Scientific geospatial tools and techniques, such as but not limited to, Remote Sensing (RS),

Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), are widely used to

observe, quantify and analyze the issues related to natural resources resulting from various human-

environment processes at multiple geographic scales. The course provides the students the concepts of

geographic data/information, concepts and principle of remotes sensing, GIS, and GPS. The course puts

special emphasis to equip the students with knowledge and skill in applying these tools and techniques in

the context of natural resources management, such as land, forest, biodiversity.

Catalog Description: Natural resources/Environment data; Remote sensing for natural resources

monitoring: GIS for natural resources planning and management; Global Positioning System for NRM;

Geographic data generation and quality; Case studies.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I. Natural resources/Environment data

1. Concept

2. Types

II. Remote Sensing for Natural Resources monitoring

1. Principle

2. Types

3. Scale and Resolution

4. Visual image interpretation technique

5. Digital image classification technique

III. GIS for Natural Resources planning and management

1. Introduction – Map vs GIS

2. GIS Data structure, input and editing

3. Spatial Analysis and modeling

4. Map production

IV. Global Positioning System for NRM

1. Principle and operation

2. Coordinate system and projection

3. GPS data integration in GIS

V. Geographic data generation and Quality

1. Field Survey

2. Data Quality and Accuracy

3. Data sharing

4. Data integration

5. Data standardization

VI. Case studies

1. Land evaluation (forestry, agriculture)

2. Habitat mapping and modeling

3. Land use/cover options and climate adaptation

4. Land degradation mapping

Laboratory Sessions:

27

1. Introduction to computer facilities, hardware, software, natural resources data

2. Basic functions of ArcView/ArcMap GIS

3. Working with tables

4. Query and logical operators

5. Geoprocessing /overlay

6. GPS data collection, interpolation

7. Remote sensing - Image display/enhancement of remote sensing data (ENVI software)

8. Visual techniques of image interpretation

9. Digital technique of feature extraction and classification

10. Accuracy assessment

11. Student project on natural resources

12. Map output

13. Student project (contd.)

14. Student project (contd.)

15. Presentation of output

Textbooks: None

Reference Books:

1. Stan Morain (Ed). 1999. GIS Solutions in Natural Resource Management: Balancing the Technical

Political Equation, Onward Press.

2. Wilkie, D.S. and J.T. Finn, 1996. Remote sensing imagery for natural resources monitoring : a

guide for first-time users, Columbia University Press, New York.

3. P. A. Burrough and R. A. McDonnel: Principles of Geographic Information Systems, Oxford

University Press, Oxford, 1998.

4. Lo, C.P. and A. K. W. Yeung, 2003. Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information Systems,

Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd.

5. DeMers, M.N., 2005. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, John Wiley and Sons,

Inc., 3rd

edition, New York.


1. International Journal of Remote Sensing

2. Geocarto International

3. International Journal of Geographical Science

4. Geographical System

5. Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing

Grading Systems: The final grade will be computed according to the following weight distribution:

midsem exam (30%); final exam (40%); assignments/projects (30%). Closed book examinations are given

in the both midsem and final exams.




28

Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand



ED76.9002 International Forestry Resources and Institutions 3(3-0) Inter-January

Semester

Instructor: Prof. Ganesh Shivakoti [email protected].

This is a two-month, intensive training course on Common Pool Resource theory and the multi-

disciplinary, crosscutting research and analytical methods of IFRI to examine the institutional

arrangements and local management of forests.

The IFRI research program intends to address issues such as: determining how to change

processes leading to deforestation in many countries of the world; assessing what types of

institutions are associated with sustainable forest practices; and helping policymakers and forest

users to design more effective forest policies. IFRI provides a way for people to collect, store,

and analyze data over time about forests and the communities that use forests. It can be used to

conduct baseline studies; measure change over time in forest conditions and in local governance

structures; and share information with pertinent and interested colleagues.

(http://www.umich.edu/~ifri/)

This training course will be a combination of lectures, field work, and group-based learning.

1. Introduction

2. Theoretical Foundations (IAD)

3. IFRI Conceptual Model

4. General structure of IFRI forms

5. IFRI Research Strategy

6. Assign forms for co-presentations (explain format for presentations)

7. Introduction and discussion of case study site

8. IFRI forest mensuration techniques

9. General principles of field methods (PRA, interviews, participant observation, etc)

10. Principles of research design: social/institutional

11. Introduction to and analysis of IFRI database

12. Parametric and non-parametric statistical test

School Recommendation: ADRC Endorsement:

Academic Senate Approval: NA

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.umich.edu/~ifri/

29

Asian Institute of Technology


ED76.9003 Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems, 2 (1-3) Semester: January

Rationale: The world consists of many environmental systems, with biological, technological, economic

and social dimensions. Besides their diversity, most of these systems are complex, which means that the

vast number of interacting components, factors, flows and stocks they include make it very difficult to

understand and predict their behaviour under ever-changing conditions. Further, such evolving conditions

(e.g. climate change, natural resources evolution, social and economic changes and decisions) demand

prospective and multidisciplinary investigations to support environmental policies. With recent advances

in computer and software, powerful and user-friendly technological options are now available for

simulation-based investigations, making use of dynamic modelling tools. The course provides the students

concepts and principles of dynamic modelling (DM). Examples illustrate the multidisciplinary nature of

dynamic modelling of environmental systems, help the students to gradually acquire the necessary

knowledge and skills in dynamic system thinking and modelling. Lab-based practicals, guided- and self-

research on own project form the last part of the course, meant to provide the students with operating

know-how on current most widely-used DM platforms in natural resources management.

Catalog Description: Environmental systems; dynamic modeling, system thinking, simulation,

scenario-based modeling

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

I Systems approach to environmental problems

1. Definition of system and system thinking

2. The concepts of flow and stock

3. Definition of feedback, positive and negative feedbacks

4. Taking time into account: differential equations; refresher in calculus

II Basic dynamic modelling concepts in environmental systems

1. Fundamental system components: stocks, flows, converters, connectors

2. Common basic behaviour patterns in dynamic systems: growth/decay, overshoot/collapse, oscillation

3. Illustrative examples: features, diagrams, equations, simple models

III Strategies and best practice for developing and using environmental systems models

1. Analysing a dynamic systems model: overview

2. Problem definition

3. Delineation and mapping: defining purpose, inputs, outputs, scope and limitations

4. Data acquisition

5. Model development and validation

6. Sensitivity analysis

7. Exploratory analysis; the concept of scenario

8. Links with spatial systems (GIS)

VI Illustrative examples: typical cases of environmental modelling

1. Modelling prey-predator systems

2. Modelling resource extraction systems

3. Modelling matter cycling in ecosystems

30

Laboratory Sessions: 1. Learning of basic modelling principals, and functions of the Stella® platform, overview /

presentation; illustrations; demonstrations on development and use of simple models (5h)

2. Tutorial-based, guided development of simple dynamic models with Stella® platform; basic

operations: controls, menus, toolbars, building blocks, tools, objects (5h)

3. Practicing detailed operations: built-ins, importing / exporting data, models as causal loops, sub-

models, cycle-time, arrays (5h)

4. Self-development of environmental models with Stella® platform (group work) (10h)

5. Self-development of complex environmental models, with validation and scenario-testing phases

(group work) (project to be presented) (20h).

Textbooks:

1. Ford, A (1999) Modeling the environment. An introduction to system dynamics modeling of

environmental systems. Island Press, Washington DC, USA website for examples and illustrations:

http://www.islandpress.org/ford

2. Deaton, M.L. & Winebrake, J.I. (1999) Dynamic modeling of environmental systems. Springer-Verlag,

New-York, USA

Reference Books:

1. Hannon, B. & Ruth, M. (1994) Modeling dynamic systems. Springer-Verlag, New-York, USA

2. Fisher, D.M. (2005) Modeling dynamic systems. Lessons for a first course. ISEE Systems Publ.

www.iseesystems.com

3. ISEE Systems (2005) Stella 9 User guide www.iseesystems.com


1. Environmental Modelling and Software (Elsevier)

2. Ecological Modelling (Elsevier)

3. Environmental and Development Economics (Cambridge University Press)

4. Agricultural Systems (Elsevier)

1. Voinov, A et al. (2004) Modular ecosystem modeling. Environmental Modeling & Software,

19(2004):285-304

2. Chopra, K. & Adhikari, S.K. (2004) Environment-development linkages: modeling a wetland system

for ecological and economic value, Environment and Development Economics, 9(2004):19-45

3. Costanza, R. et al. (1998) Modelling ecological and economic systems with Stella. Ecological

Modelling, special issue, 110(1):1-103

Grading System:

The final grade will be computed according to the following weight distribution:

1. Mid semester assignment (project to be submitted to instructor) (20%)

2. Mid-semester exam (20%) (open book)

3. Final assignment (project to be submitted to instructor) (40%)

4. Oral presentation of project to fellow students and faculties (20%).

Instructor(s): Dr Sylvain R. Perret



http://www.islandpress.org/ford

http://www.iseesystems.com/

31

Asian Institute of Technology



ED76.9004 Soil and Water Conservation for Agro-environmental Management 1(1-0)

Semester: January

Rationale: Environment in an area/region is deeply related with the ways of manipulation and

exploitation of soil and water, the two most significant natural resources especially in the

agriculture-dominated Asian countries. An understanding of the issues involved in agriculture

and environment from different standpoints (scientific, socio-economic, area-specific etc.) is very

important for the students who are interested in environmental and natural sciences.

Course Description: The course will introduce the students an overall idea (basic knowledge,

present status and future tendency, sustainable management) of soil and water in the Asian

countries. Lectures in the first half of the course are comprised of fundamental aspects related to

soil and water while the later half will be explored using case studies in different countries such

as Japan, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India and the USA. At the end of this course, it is

expected that most students will have a better appreciation of how the environment related to soil

and water is being altered and what to do with soil and water conservation at their own capacities

to contribute to the cause of sustainable development.

Pre-requisite(s): None.

Course Outline:

I. Introduction to Soil and Water Conservation, and Asian Agriculture

II. Major Issues and Problems related to Agriculture and Environment

1. Soil Erosion: Water erosion and Wind erosion

2. Desertification and Land Degradation

3. Land Use

4. Water Quality

5. Water and Watershed Management

III. Overview of Soil Conservation methods/approaches

IV. Overview of Water Conservation methods/approaches

V. Case Studies: Soil and Water Conservation Issues

1. Selected Countries of South Asia (Bangladesh/India)

2. Selected Countries of Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand)

3. Others (China, Japan, USA)

VI. Soil-plant-water Issues and Environment

VII. Open Discussion

32

Laboratory Sessions:

1. Analysis of issues

2. Presentation/seminar

Textbooks:

Collection of contemporary journal articles.

Reference Books:

1. Brady, N.C. and R.R. Weil: The Nature and Properties of Soils, 14th

edition, published by

Pearson Prentice Hall, USA, 2008.

2. Garcia-Torres, L., J. Benites, A.Martinez-Vilela, A.Holgado-Cabrera: Conservation

Agriculture, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, 2003.

3. Fangmeier, D.D., W. J. Elliot, S.R.Workman, R.L.Huffman, G.O.Schwab: Soil and Water

Conservation Engineering, 5th

edition, published by Thomson Delmar Learning, USA, 2006.

4. Roy, K. (ed.): Arsenic Calamity of Groundwater in Bangladesh: Contamination in Water, Soil

and Plants, published by K.Roy, Japan, 2008.

5. Schwab, G.O., R.K. Frevert, T.W. Edminster, K.K. Bernes: Soil and Water Conservation

Engineering, 3rd

edition, published by John Willey & Sons, USA, 1981.

6. Tyler Miller, G., Jr.: Living in the Environment, 14th

edition, published by Thompson

Learning, USA, 2005.

Grading System:

The final grade will be computed from the final assignment (100%)

Instructor: Dr. Kingshuk Roy (visiting faculty, Nihon University, Japan)



33



Field of Study: Natural Resources Management

ED76.9005 Land use and climate change 2(2-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Climate change impacts are inevitable although may vary in its magnitude from place

to place. Land use being one of the major causes of climate change and the fact that enormous

land use change occurring in Asia driven by several reasons, particularly for the need of meeting

the food demands. Given the crucial role of land, the issue is becoming more complex in the face

of food insecurity, poverty alleviation and emerging issue of climate change impact. This course

intends to introduce the students intrinsic linkage between land use and climate change to amply

equip them with the knowledge of the land use change and climate change science, role of land

use on mitigation and adaptation of climate change impacts.

Catalog Description: Land use and land use change; Impacts of land use change; Climate change;

Relation between land use and climate; Mitigation of and adaption to climate change impacts

Pre-requisite: None

I. Land use and land use change

1) Land use/land cover – definition and progress

2) Causes of land use change

3) Modeling land use change

II. Impacts of land use change on

1) Atmosphere and climate regulation

2) Food and resources

3) Hydrology

III. Climate change

1) Science – introduction

2) Causes

3) Impacts on land resources

IV. Land use and climate

1) GHGs estimation techniques

2) Terrestrial GHGs and land use

3) Carbon estimates

4) Reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation

V. Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change impacts

1) Land use choices and practices

2) Sustainable land management

3) Climate change science-land use related policy interface

Textbook: Lecture handouts and notes will be provided.

Reference Books:

34

1. Burroughs, W.J. 2007. Climate change: a multidisciplinary approach. Second edition,

Cambridge University Press, New York.

2. Lambin, E.F. and H. Geist, 2006. Land use and land cover change: local processes and

global impacts, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

3. World Bank, 2008. Climate change adaptation and mitigation in development programs:

A Practical guide, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The

World Bank, Washington, DC.

4. Twilley, R.R., E.J. Barron, H.L. Gholz, M.A. Harwell, R.L. Miller, D.J. Reed, J.B. Rose,

E.H. Siemann, R.G. Wetzel and R.J. Zimmerman (2001). Confronting Climate Change in

the Gulf Coast Region: Prospects for Sustaining Our Ecological Heritage. Union of

Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Ecological Society of America,

Washington, D.C.

5. Schlamadinger, B. and G. Marland. 2000. Land use and global climate change: forest land

management and the Kyoto protocol. Pew Center on Global Climate Change.


7. Global environmental change

8. Journal of land use science

9. Climate policy

10. Land use policy

11. Forest ecology and management


distribution: midsem exam (40%); final exam (40%); and assignments (20%). Closed book

examinations are given in both the midsem and final exams.




35



IN00.9015 Climate, Energy and Food Security in the Asia Pacific 2(2-0) Semester: August

Rationale: Climate change, its underlying causes, mitigation and adaptation, particularly its link

with energy and food security, is a matter of great importance for the Asia Pacific region. This

course is designed for the thoughtful leaders, decision-makers and innovators of the future for a

realistic assessment of the problems we all face in minimizing climate change impacts. The

course is multi-disciplinary in nature and will appeal to students from the sciences and

humanities. The course is being offered as Asia Pacific Initiative Environment course, a

collaboration between fifteen universities/institutes in the region and abroad.

Catalog Description: The mode of course delivery will be in the form of seminar via live video-

conference by instructors/experts from various universities including AIT, supported by online

learning. Lectures are subjected to vary, however the lecture topics delivered in 2008 were as

follows.

Pre-requisite: None

Course Outline:

1. Course introduction

2. IPCC process

3. The Hurricane future

4. Asian food crisis

5. Climate security and human security

6. Kyoto protocol

7. Monitoring the earth

8. Beyond the IPCC fourth assessment

9. Energy security

10. Biodiversity and climate change

11. Student presentations

12. Sustainable cities

13. Land use and climate change

14. Emerging infectious diseases and other health problems due to the climate change

15. Low carbon society

16. Reduce, reuse and recycle and climate change: Intuitions and interactions

17. Student presentations

Textbooks:

None

Reference Books:

None. Lecture presentations will be made available

36


1. Agriculture, ecosystems and environment

2. Climate policy

3. Energy policy

4. Environmental Science and policy

5. Journal of cleaner production

6. Renewable energy

Grading Systems: The final grade will be computed as follows.

Assignments (critical analysis: 20%; term paper – 30%); participation (attendance/interaction in

class) – 30%; and project presentation – 20%.

Instructor: Dr. Rajendra P Shrestha, NRM/SERD will coordinate the course from AIT-side.



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